Robbery at Rossi’s family home during his funeral



[ad_1]

The home of 1982 Italian World Cup hero Paolo Rossi was raided yesterday during his funeral.

Italian news agency AGI reported that the soccer star’s wife, Federica, returned from the ceremony to discover that the house they shared near Bucine, southeast of Florence in Tuscany, had been raided.

The stolen items included a watch belonging to the soccer legend and cash.

Rossi and his family lived in a country house in Poggio Cennina, a hill overlooking the Val d’Ambra, where he ran an organic farming company and an agritourism resort.

All the players from Italy took to the field with black armbands yesterday in memory of Rossi, who died on Wednesday at the age of 64.

A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off with Rossi’s photo projected on giant screens with the words “Heroes never die” and “Ciao Paolo.”

Hundreds of people had gathered yesterday to see Paolo Rossi farewell during an emotional funeral in Vicenza Cathedral.

His World Cup winning teammates carried the striker’s simple wooden coffin known as ‘Pablito’ before and after the ceremony in the city’s Duomo.

“If I am a world champion I owe it to him,” said former Italian defender Fulvio Collovati.

“I not only lost a teammate, but a friend, a brother,” said former Italy defender Antonio Cabrini during the ceremony.

Images of Rossi were broadcast to stadiums across Italy during a minute of silence in his honor.

Rossi fired the Azzurri to their third World Cup triumph in Spain in 1982, with his six goals, winning the Ballon d’Or the same year.

His death after a long illness sparked a torrent of pain and national tributes, and particularly in Vicenza, the northeastern city whose soccer team he raised to Serie A.

Thousands of people had flocked to pay their respects at Vicenza’s Stadio Menti on Friday, where Rossi’s coffin had been on public display.



[ad_2]